Henderson Javier Álvarez (born April 18, 1990) is a

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team play its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in , , , ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

from 2011 through 2012, the Miami Marlins from 2013 through 2015, and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017. Álvarez debuted in MLB with the Blue Jays in 2011, and was traded to the Marlins after the 2012 season. He threw a no-hitter for the Marlins on the last day of the 2013 season, and was named an

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

during the 2014 season. He did not pitch in MLB during the 2016 season due to a shoulder injury.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Álvarez signed with the

as an international free agent, and made his professional baseball debut in 2007 with the Dominican Summer Blue Jays of the Rookie-level

Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is a branch of affiliated Minor League Baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. After the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only ...

, pitching to a 1–2

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

with a 5.61

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA). Álvarez subsequently moved to the United States, where he pitched for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays of the Rookie-level

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the l ...

, going 1–4 with a 5.63 ERA and a strikeout to walk ratio of 5.67. He was promoted to the

Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field. The Midwest League came to Lans ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

for the 2009 season, where he was an All-Star with a 9–6 win–loss record and a 3.47 ERA. He played 2010 with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Florida State League. He was named an All-Star and was selected to appear in the All-Star Futures Game, finishing the season with an 8–7 record with a 4.33 ERA. He started the 2011 season with Dunedin, but was promoted after two starts to the

New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major league club. During the team's first seaso ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Eastern League. He was again named an All-Star and made his second appearance in the Futures Game, finishing the year with an 8–4 record and a 2.86 ERA.

Toronto Blue Jays

On August 9, 2011, the Blue Jays promoted Álvarez to the major leagues. He took the rotation spot of Carlos Villanueva, and made his major league debut on August 10 against the Oakland Athletics pitching 5 innings and giving up 3 earned runs on 8 hits, with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk. On August 31, Álvarez recorded his first major league win in a 13–0 victory over the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

. He pitched eight full innings, giving up three hits, no walks and recording five strikeouts. At 21 years and 135 days, Álvarez becomes the youngest Blue Jays' pitcher to record a win since

Kelvim Escobar Kelvim José Escobar Bolívar (born April 11, 1976) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1997–2003) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004–2007, 2009). He won 101 games, but his career ...

in 1997, and the youngest starting pitcher to record the win for the Jays since Phil Huffman in 1979. He made 10 starts for the Blue Jays, going 1–3 in innings. He issued eight walks while striking out 40. On May 4, 2012, Álvarez threw his first career complete game and

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

, defeating the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

4–0. With teammate

Brandon Morrow Brandon John Morrow (born July 26, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Amateu ...

throwing a shutout the previous night, they became the first Blue Jays to throw back-to-back shutouts since

Jack Morris John Scott Morris (born May 16, 1955) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers. Morris won 254 games throughout his career. Armed ...

and

Al Leiter Alois Terry Leiter (; born October 23, 1965) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from to for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blu ...

on June 16 and 17, 1993. Álvarez finished the 2012 season with a 9–14 record and a 4.85 ERA in 31 starts. He struck out 79 batters in innings pitched, which resulted in the lowest strikeout rates in the Majors (3.80 K/9) in 2012.

Miami Marlins

On November 19, 2012, the Blue Jays traded Álvarez to the Miami Marlins along with Adeiny Hechavarria,

Jeff Mathis Jeffrey Stephen Mathis (born March 31, 1983) is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondba ...

Yunel Escobar Yunel Escobar Almenares (born November 2, 1982) is a Cuban-born American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Na ...

Jake Marisnick Jacob Shawn Marisnick (born March 30, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago White Sox organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Diego Padr ...

Anthony DeSclafani Anthony James DeSclafani (born April 18, 1990), nicknamed Disco and T-Bone, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. ...

, and Justin Nicolino in exchange for

Mark Buehrle Mark Alan Buehrle (; born March 23, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World S ...

, Josh Johnson, José Reyes, John Buck, and

Emilio Bonifacio Emilio may refer to: * Emilio Navaira, a Mexican-American singer often called "Emilio" * Emilio Piazza Memorial School, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State * Emilio (given name) * ''Emilio'' (film), a 2008 film by Kim Jorgensen See also * Emílio (dis ...

. Alvarez spent most of the first half of the 2013 regular season on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. He was activated from the 60-day disabled list on July 4, and made his first start as a Marlin that night against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

. Álvarez received a no-decision in his Marlins debut, pitching five innings and giving up three earned runs in a 4–3 win. Álvarez earned his first win as a Marlin on July 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On September 29, 2013, the final game of the Marlins 2013 season, Álvarez threw the 282nd no-hitter in MLB history, in a game against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed three base runners on an error, a walk, and a hit batter as the Marlins walked off in the bottom of the ninth inning on a wild pitch, 1–0. He became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the final game of the regular season since Mike Witt in 1984, when he did so for the California Angels. Álvarez finished the 2013 season with a 5–6 record in 17 starts. Through 17 starts, Álvarez pitched 102 innings while allowing just two home runs. The previous season he had allowed 29 home runs. Álvarez opened the 2014 season with two complete game shutouts in his first seven starts. He was named an All-Star. After earning an 8–5 record with a 2.48 ERA and a league-leading three shutouts, Álvarez went on the disabled list on August 1 with shoulder inflammation. before being activated on August 16. He finished the 2014 season with a 12–7 record, the most wins for a Marlins pitcher, and a 2.65 ERA with 111 strikeouts. The Marlins named Álvarez their Opening Day starting pitcher in 2015. In April 2015, Álvarez went on the disabled list when an MRI revealed inflammation in his shoulder and elbow. After going 0–4 with an ERA over 6.00, he was declared out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery on July 28. On December 2, the Marlins opted not to tender Álvarez a contract, making him a free agent.

Oakland Athletics

On December 28, 2015, Álvarez signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Oakland Athletics, with an additional $1.6 million available in incentives. While rehabilitating in the minor leagues, he left a game in July due to shoulder discomfort. After only pitching in 33 innings in the minors, Álvarez underwent shoulder surgery in September. The Athletics outrighted Álvarez to the Nashville Sounds of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

Pacific Coast League on October 7, 2016, and he then elected for free agency.

Long Island Ducks

On July 14, 2017, Álvarez signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league. He started seven games for the Ducks.

Philadelphia Phillies

On August 22, 2017, Álvarez signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He made three starts for

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

of the

International League, and the Phillies promoted him to the major leagues on September 11. He elected free agency on October 6, 2017.

Tigres de Quintana Roo

On March 14, 2018, Álvarez signed with the

Tigres de Quintana Roo The Quintana Roo Tigers (), formerly known as the Mexico (City) Tigers () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve champio ...

of the

Washington Nationals

On November 16, 2018, Álvarez signed a minor league contract with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

. He was released on July 1, 2019.

Tigres de Quintana Roo (second stint)

On July 20, 2019, Álvarez signed with the

of the

Milwaukee Milkmen

On August 5, 2020, Álvarez signed with the

Milwaukee Milkmen The Milwaukee Milkmen are an independent baseball team based in Franklin, Wisconsin. They are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. They began play in 2019 and play hom ...

of the American Association. On August 9, Álvarez signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the deal fell apart on August 16. Álvarez won the American Association championship with the Milkmen in 2020.

Tigres de Quintana Roo (third stint)

On September 18, 2020, after the American Association season, Álvarez was returned to the Tigres de Quintana Roo. On May 3, 2021, Álvarez was released by the Tigres.

Leones de Yucatán

On December 28, 2021, Álvarez signed with the

of the

for the 2022 season.

Pitching style

Álvarez is a sinkerballer with a 92–95 mph sinker, a 93–96 mph

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

, an 84–87 mph

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

, and an 85–89 mph

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

. He also throws an occasional cutter (87–90). The slider is mostly to right-handed hitters and the changeup mostly against lefties. His pitches all have below-average whiff rates, and his strikeouts per 9 innings rate is only 4.1 . However, his sinker has a ground ball/fly ball ratio of about 4:1.

References

External links

Henderson Álvarez
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Henderson Álvarez
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Henderson 1990 births Living people Arizona League Athletics players Dominican Summer League Blue Jays players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Dunedin Blue Jays players Fresno Grizzlies players Gulf Coast Blue Jays players Jacksonville Suns players Jupiter Hammerheads players Lansing Lugnuts players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Leones de Yucatán players Long Island Ducks players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Mexican League baseball pitchers Miami Marlins players Milwaukee Milkmen players Nashville Sounds players National League All-Stars Navegantes del Magallanes players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Philadelphia Phillies players Sportspeople from Valencia, Venezuela Stockton Ports players Tiburones de La Guaira players Tigres de Quintana Roo players Toronto Blue Jays players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela 2013 World Baseball Classic players